This week Red Karaoke added to its catalogue Walk on by from the classic American artist Andy Williams, which got us to reminiscing about the geat American icon and all his incredible successes in the early pop world. Join us as we take a look at the beloved Andy Williams and his amazing career in music and television.

Andy Williams, platinum performing artist and tv personality, got his start in a little town called Wall Lake, Iowa, singing in his local church’s choir. With a family of talented vocalists, it’s no wonder he and his brothers decided to join up and create a quartet that quickly began appearing on Midwestern radio stations, eventually recording with Bing Crosby and landing a regular nightclub act with singer Kay Thompson.

By 1953 Williams began his solo career, recording six sides for RCA Victor’s label X, but didn’t score any big hits with those early recordings. But after becoming a regular on Steve Allen’s Tonight Show, he signed a contract with a little known label Cadence Records and began producing more singles destined for greatness.

It was William’s third single, Canadian Sunset, that entered into the Billboard chart and made it to the seventh spot, gaining Williams so noteriety. Butterfly followed, become Williams first and only number one Billboard hit, a cover of a Charlie Gracie song that imitated Elvis.

After that, success came easily for Williams. Many hits followed including The Hawaiian Wedding Song, Are you sincere, Lonely Street, and I like your kind of love. With a move to LA and a new label, Colombia Records, Williams had yet another hit, Can’t get used to losing you and a prime time career ahead of him.

Williams became the owner of Cadence’s master tapes and, along with his early recordigns, recordings by The Everly brothers, The Chordettes and other artists. He decided to create his own comapny, Barnaby Records, to handle the re-release of these recordings, particularly the popular Everly Brothers as well as a new artist, Ray Stevens, and to handle the signing of the soon to be famous Jimmy Buffet.

During the 60s Williams saw his biggest success with one of the most lucrative contracts of the time and more certified gold albums than any other artists aside from Frank Sinatra, Johnny Mathis and Elvis Presley. Among his 18 gold records were Moon Rive, his first Christmas album (of which he would later make eight in total and become known as Mr. Christmas), and Love story.

In this era Williams became more well known for his live performances. He began performing annually at the Oscars awards, and after his 1966 performance at Ceaser’s Palace in Las Vegas, headlined there for the next twenty years. But perhaps his most well known success was his weekly variety show, The Andy Williams Show, which began in 1962 and won three emmys duing its run. Though he could’ve continued with his program, in 1971 at the height of his success, Williams restructured the show into three specials a year that were loved and looked forward to by many.

Enjoy singing dozens of Andy William’s biggest hits here on Red Karaoke with our mp3 flash recorder, or shop for you own mp3 instrumental tracks of Andy Williams in the Red Karaoke Store for you to take anywhere.

This entry was posted
on Tuesday, February 1st, 2011 at 20:55 and is filed under General.
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